The New Generation
by CJwat15
Summary: People aspire everyday to rise among the ranks of the Wycademy Hunters. Some wish to stay anonymous, but for these five hunters, staying alive is their only goal! With group fallout and a lack of equipment, they will be living life on the edge. Isn't that the point of the hunting life though? Takes place in the time of Monster Hunter Generations.
1. Chapter 1: Meet the Hunters

"Alright, this should be enough." Tiras said as he clamped the lid on the jar he had filled with honey before placing it into his bag.

Today he and his fellow hunters were out gathering to prepare for their hunt tomorrow against a Blangonga. It was an assignment given to them to officially join the ranks of the Wycademy Hunters.

Tiras took a deep breath as he straightened his hat over his brown hair made from Great Maccao materials, and checked up on his light bowgun crafted from the same monster his armor was.

He was however, soon cut off by a loud scream.

"What the…" Tiras muttered as he slung his bowgun over his shoulder and dashed towards the scream.

Marret was in trouble. He had to try and gather honey while an Arzuros was in the area. His arm had just been grazed by the Arzuros' claw, but it was already starting to bleed badly.

"Darn it Marret, this is the third time this week!" came a voice from a light blue haired female hunter wearing leather armor who lashed out against the Arzuros with a long sword.

"What's wrong Erin? I just wanted one jar and the Arzuros was quite far away!" Marret retorted as he picked himself back up, ruffled his blonde hair, and drew his Hunter's Knife.

Both Erin and Marret continued to slash at the Arzuros…

"Darn, my weapon's dulling." Erin mumbled.

The Arzuros then attempted to charge at both of them, before the familiar sound of gunshots rang throughout the air.

"Fall back guys! I've got you covered!" Tiras called out as Erin ran, but Marret stood his ground.

"Thanks, but we can do this!" Marret cried before attempting to hit the Arzuros once again, only this time to be countered and flung off to the side.

Tiras facepalmed as Erin ran over and helped him up.

They then ran back towards base camp.

"Okay, I'm fine now guys, let's go take down that Arzuros! I heard the armor you can make from it's hide isn't too shabby." Marret said after his wounds had been bandaged and had taken a few potions.

"Seriously Marret? You want to go back out there like this? Are you that suicidal?" Erin yelled while in middle of sharpening her long sword.

"There is no way we're going back out there without everyone else and proper supplies. Let's call for our pickup…" Tiras agreed as Marret stomped his foot down.

"So you're saying we should just give up?" he spat.

"It's not giving up if it's not our objective and if there's no way we can do this. I mean, I suppose if you want to die then go right ahead, but we're not that stupid!" Tiras said in a final sort of tone before waving to the Dragonseer above to send pickup.

* * *

They arrived at Bherna village an hour later, and walked over to a new large complex of halls where all aspiring Wycademy Hunters lived.

Tiras opened the door to the tavern, which was relatively empty. He spotted a familiar face with long dark hair however, his good friend and hammer wielder Derek.

"Hey there Tiras! Care for a drink? It's from our folks back home!" he called out while brandishing a tankard.

Both Tiras and Derek had grown up in Yukumo village, even though they had no idea where they were born.

"Sure, then I need to start experimenting with making some more ammo types." Tiras chuckled as Derek poured him a mug.

"How the hell can you guys celebrate…" came Marret's ragged voice.

Tiras and Derek stopped drinking for a bit to see Erin duck off towards her room as Marret was fuming.

"What happened out there Tiras?" Derek asked curiously.

"Oh we just ran into an Arzuros out in the Misty Peaks while gathering. Marret couldn't _bear_ not fighting it, so he wanted to get himself killed." Tiras laughed as Marret simply stomped off.

"He seems really pissed off." Derek said while taking another sip of his drink.

"Yeah, but it's excusable since he's young and his only goal from what I've seen is becoming an elite hunter. He just needs a taste of the outside world." Tiras muttered before taking a big gulp of his drink.

"I think you boys are really getting along." came a gentle voice.

Tiras turned to see a long silver haired woman wearing casual clothes and an apron carrying two large bowls of something over to them.

"Hey Aria!" Derek called out as the woman giggled while setting the bowls down on the table where he and Tiras were sitting.

"Derek honey, I thought we agreed that you boys would call me Mother?" she sweetly said.

"Yeah, it's just kinda embarrassing, right Tiras?" Derek tried to deflect Aria's attention, but Tiras was already eating one of the bowls of what looked like beef stew.

Derek broke into a bit of a cold sweat as Aria embraced him tightly and practically squeezed the life out of him.

"Well then boys, I'd better check up on Marret. Tiras, don't forget about making me a few more coatings for tomorrow!" she exclaimed while letting go of Derek.

"Got it mother, and thanks for the food!" Tiras quickly replied to avoid the same fate as Derek.

Aria then walked off before Derek weakly reached for his bowl of stew.

* * *

"Marret dear? It's your mother." Aria gently said while knocking on Marret's room door. Marret then opened it with an enraged look.

"And you too! All of you just treat me like I'm nothing more than just a little kid! I'm sixteen years old now!" Marret yelled as Aria took a deep breath.

"And if you keep acting like this you'll never be considered anything more and you can forget about becoming an elite hunter!" Aria shot back as Marret fell silent.

Aria then pushed Marret back into his room before closing the door behind her.

"Look, we all admire your spirit. The problem is that you haven't developed reason yet. Tiras and Erin had a point. You guys were just out gathering today, and weren't prepared for a hunt." Aria explained.

"Why couldn't we just try and take it down?" Marret asked.

"Because Tiras and Erin didn't want to come back with grave news that you'd been killed. I don't want to lose a son." Aria soothed as she gently embraced Marret.

"You're...not really my mother…" Marret breathed out as a few sobs came out.

Aria continued to soothe him until he had calmed down enough to get some sleep.

"Just like a baby." she cooed while closing the door and heading to Tiras' room.

"It's open." came a tired response from Tiras.

Aria opened the door to see Tiras tinkering with something on his bedside table alchemy lab.

"Your coatings bundle is by the door there." Tiras yawned.

She grabbed the leather satchel and inspected the contents. Each vial in there was carefully organized and labeled. Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, and Paint coatings.

"You work too hard." Aria laughed out while walking over to see what Tiras was doing.

"Only the best for our mother." Tiras replied as he was currently making a few Pierce rounds for his bowgun.

This remark earned him a head ruffling from Aria as she turned to leave.

"Don't stay up too late, I want everyone up early for breakfast." she said before leaving.

Tiras smiled a bit as he picked himself up and threw himself into bed, falling asleep instantly.

* * *

The next morning, the five of them were heading out to the market to stock up on supplies before heading to Wycademy HQ.

Tiras had suited up in his Great Maccao armor alongside his light bowgun.

Erin's leather armor had been replaced by simple Bherna armor, but she still had her Great Maccao long sword sheathed on her back.

Derek was wearing a set of chainmail armor alongside a large iron hammer which sat snugly on his waist behind him.

Marret was still in his leather armor from yesterday, and his sword was also holstered behind him as he had his shield on his back.

Finally, Aria was in Hunter's armor with a simple bow made of Yukumo wood with two quivers behind her.

Each of them also had various bags and satchels that still had room for supplies.

"Ah welcome! You must be the next group of hunters heading off on your initiation assignment?" came a sweet voice from a merchant girl who was waving at them.

"Yep! We're heading out to the Arctic Ridge to hunt ourselves a Blangonga!" Marret exclaimed.

"Do you carry Cleansers and Hot Drinks? We'd rather not get frozen or encased in ice out there." Tiras cut in.

"Of course! Please check out the large selection of goods we have here." the merchant girl explained as the group looked around.

They got medical supplies, spare ammunition, and other various bits and bobs.

Then they said goodbye to the merchant girl as they headed towards the place where the Guild Manager was sitting.

"So, you're part of the new group of aspiring Wycademy Hunters huh?" she asked.

Tiras and his friends all nodded as the Guild Manager chuckled.

"Alright, your assignment should be up at the Quest Counter. Good luck youngsters!"

* * *

The Arctic Ridge was a beautiful yet harsh place. Tiras and Aria were looking through their supply box and rationing supplies, but Erin, Derek, and Marret were bickering.

"Why didn't you bring some Oils Marret?" Derek exclaimed.

"Because they're expensive! I don't want to go through my entire allowance on some glorified blade coatings." Marret retorted.

"You do realize those Oils would making fighting monsters like that Arzuros yesterday much easier? Have you not even tried them?" Erin butted in, taking Derek's side.

"Oi! Stop bickering and let's get our battle plan sorted." Tiras cried out as Aria came around with bags of supplies.

This got everyone's attention as they were handed their extra supplies from the guild.

"So this should be self-explanatory, but Aria and I will stay in the back. Erin and Derek? It's your job to hold the front lines. Marret, you'll remain in the middle." Tiras listed out before pulling out his map.

"Wait a minute, shouldn't I be in the front as well?" Marret asked.

"The problem there is that like Erin and Derek pointed out, your sword isn't as effective as it would be covered in an Oil, so it would be best if you stayed somewhere you could provide backup anywhere." Tiras explained as Marret agreed while sighing.

"This is where the Blangonga was sighted, and it's better if we split up and head into the area from both sides to prevent it from escaping." Tiras pointed to the areas before furling the map up.

They then split up into two groups before heading out.

Marret, Derek, and Tiras were walking through an icy cavern, taking the most direct path to where the Blangonga was supposedly located.

"Brrr..so cold…" Marret muttered.

"Here, you should've drunk one of these." Derek said, handing Marret an opened Hot Drink, which Marret immediately gulped down.

"Guys! We're here." Tiras quietly exclaimed as they all focused and crept out of the cave.

Stepping into the clearing, a light snowfall greeted the boys as the Blangonga spotted them.

"Battle formation!" Tiras shouted, drawing his bowgun and loading a few founds as the Blangonga charged at them.

Derek drew his hammer and met the beast head on. It was a clash that ended in a draw as both combatants jumped back.

Marret thought he had an opening, so he charged before bringing his sword to bear against the Blangonga's fangs.

CLANK! The blade bounced right off right as the Blangonga recovered and attempted to swipe at Marret.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Tiras unloaded a few rounds into the beast as it recoiled in pain. He then paused to reload, and noticed Erin and Aria coming into the clearing.

"Nice of you ladies to join us! Get in there Erin!" Tiras ordered as Erin charged forward and parried a bite from the Blangonga.

Aria then took out a paralysis phial and attached it to the end of her bow before nocking a few arrows.

They flew straight and true before paralyzing the Blangonga.

"Attack now!" Aria cried out.

Erin unleashed a flurry of attacks as Derek started smashing the beast's fangs in.

Marret then tried to slash the Blangonga's back, but he only grazed the back as the paralysis wore off as the beast stood on its hind legs with it's claws raised.

"It's gonna smash! Get out of the way!" Tiras cried out.

Erin and Derek quickly dodged out of the way, but Marret was recklessly trying to knock the Blangonga over by hitting its legs.

"Marret! Look out!" Aria shrieked...but the Blangonga crashed down, sending Marret flying into a wall.

"Ah damn it." Derek muttered before Erin engaged the beast once more. Erin quickly parried another swipe before Tiras cried out.

"Watch out Erin! Fire rounds coming your way!" Tiras yelled as he loaded the aforementioned ammo into his bowgun and fired.

The fire rounds hit the Blangonga right in the face, staggering it. Derek then took a quick leap off a ledge and smashed it's face in with his hammer.

It let out a loud roar before falling to the ground dead.

"Woohoo!" Derek cheered as Aria ran over to Marret and helped him back up.

"Darn it, it really stings…" Marret groaned.

Tiras and Erin just shook their heads as Aria scolded him.

After carving up what they could, Tiras fired off a signal flare in the clearing so the airship could pick them up.

* * *

They arrived back at Wycademy HQ where the Guild Manager handed them their official Hunter licenses.

"Alright then, let's get Marret back home and tend to his wounds." Tiras said while pocketing his license.

The rest of the group agreed as they made their way back towards their home in Bherna.

"Marret, I need you to stay still while I rub this bruise down!" Aria said while everyone else was sitting in Marret's room.

"It's fine! I'll just walk it of-agh!" Marret yelped as he felt a sharp pain course through his back.

"Nice bark. Can't same about your bite." Erin teased.

Tiras just sighed before heading to the tavern to grab something to eat. He was starving.

The tavern was bustling with a variety of hunters now. Some were clad in much higher grade gear for beginner hunters however.

"Hey Tiras! Care to meet a few cuties?" Derek shouted from a table where Tiras noticed two female hunters were giggling.

Tiras sighed as he walked over and sat down while a waitress came around and asked for his order.

"A well-done steak and a tankard of ale please." Tiras quickly said as the waitress hurried off.

Derek was currently making banter with one of the female hunters, but the other one leaned over the table and started chatting with Tiras.

"Hey, I heard from your friend here that you're an able strategist." she giggled.

"I make do alright. It helps that I can stay in the back and analyze the battle at a relatively safe distance." Tiras cooly replied.

"Well then, would you like to accompany us on a hunt tomorrow? My friends and I are going to take on a few tough monsters over the next few weeks. Tomorrow we're hunting a Nargacuga." she offered.

Tiras' eyes widened a bit, but he was slightly startled when his food and drink were placed in front of him.

"Here you go sir!" the waitress said as Tiras thanked her before turning back to the female hunter.

"So am I allowed to bring a few friends along as well or is that a no go?" Tiras asked.

"Oh sure, more help would be greatly appreciated! My name's Bella by the way. Nice to meet you Tiras!" she exclaimed as Tiras returned her greeting.

Tiras then started on his steak before pulling out a piece of parchment.

"Okay, how many of your friends are coming along and what weapons do they use?" Tiras asked while twirling a quill and ink.

"Four, but including me we have a party of five. Our weapons consist of a lance, a sword and shield, an insect glaive, a heavy bowgun, and my hunting horn." Bella listed while grabbing her weapon and brandishing it.

"I like your choice. Yukumo wood is a fine material for hunting horns." Tiras muttered while writing down a strategy.

"You're familiar with it?" Bella asked curiously.

"Well I grew up there, it's like second nature for me to recognize it." Tiras replied as he finished a rough plan, but Derek decided to chime in here.

"Hey Tiras! I'm gonna go have some fun, so make sure Aria doesn't worry about me." he chuckled as he had wrapped his arm around the female he was chatting with.

"Gotcha." Tiras simply replied while holding back a sigh.

He knew exactly what Derek's definition of "fun" was when he had a female by his side. Derek walked off as Tiras handed the paper to Bella.

"Alright then. Your lance friend and sword and shield friend should obviously take to the front lines, but for you and your insect glaive friend should stay in the middle of our formation. That just leaves the back line which is self-explanatory." Tiras listed while pointing to the various positions.

"Wow, this is really detailed. And you made this is like...two minutes?" Bella said in awe.

"It's a rough draft." Tiras modestly said as he then asked a few more questions before the tavern was starting to close up.

Tiras said goodbye to Bella as he paid for his meal and headed back to his room.

"Nargacugas are weak to fire if I remember correctly, so I should probably just make some more fire rounds and relay the news to the others." he muttered to himself as he changed course from his room towards Erin's room instead.

Knock knock.

"Gimme a second!" came Erin's voice, and Tiras waited for a bit before she said it was okay to come in.

Tiras stepped in, but he stumbled forward on something.

"Erin, why is there a whetstone just lying here on the floor?" Tiras asked, only to notice the other various items that littered the floor.

"Oh sorry! I just wanted to reorganize some things. Did you need something?" she replied while moving some vials onto her desk.

"Yeah. I wanted to ask if you wanted to accompany me and another hunting group to go hunt a Nargacuga tomorrow?"

"Wait a minute, isn't that going to be difficult for us? Even though I've seen Nargacuga armor and have really wanted a set…"

Tiras laughed and simply asked if she was coming or not.

Erin smiled before confirming, then Tiras said goodbye before heading off to see Aria.

He was fortunate to find her in the hallway where his room was.

"Hey Aria, how's Marret doing?" Tiras called out as Aria walked up with a smile.

"He's just a little bruised. I think his confidence took the biggest hit though, so it'll probably be awhile before he wants to hunt again."

"Yeah...anyway on a more positive note, do you want to accompany Erin and I alongside another group to hunt a Nargacuga?"

Aria's face lit up like a little kid's as she rambled about getting the materials for armor and a new bow.

"Alright I get it, I'll work this into the battle plan for tomorrow." Tiras sighed before brushing past and getting inside his room.

He had a long night of planning ahead of him…


	2. Chapter 2: From the Shadows

It was a bit of a grey day the next morning. Erin, Aria, and Tiras were making their way towards Wycademy HQ dressed in their armor with their weapons.

"Tiras! Over here!" came the familiar voice of Bella.

Tiras noted that she was with the rest of her group, with all of them wearing varieties of chainmail and alloy armor. He also noticed that all of them were female.

"Oh dear Tiras, don't tell me you're turning into Derek." Aria muttered.

"Nononono!" Tiras quickly stuttered.

"And here I thought you would be my sweet, innocent, little boy forever!" she finished as Tiras let out an embarrassed sigh before walking over to Bella's group.

He quickly checked everyone's weapons according to the plan.

"Wait a minute, isn't there supposed to be someone using an insect glaive?" Tiras asked.

"Oh that's Alcrion. He's just a little late getting here." Bella replied.

Tiras was about to ask who that was, but a few heavy footsteps came from behind them.

They all turned to see a figure clad in purple looking plate armor. He had a torn purple cape behind him and had a green-brown Kinsect strapped to his arm alongside the long purple glaive on his back.

"Greetings." he gruffly said.

"Um, greetings to you too. Care to check this battle plan I've put together?" Tiras quickly said while handing Alcrion the sheet with the plan on it.

Alcrion took a while to look it over, but he handed it back to Tiras before asking a question.

"Why am I not in the front line?" he asked with disgust evident in his tone.

"I thought it would be best since the insect glaive is a weapon that requires the hunter to have superior mobility. We already have three people in the front line, so making your role that would honestly make the formation way too crowded." Tiras explained, but Alcrion scoffed.

"You seriously believe that I should stay in the middle when I can clearly handle the front lines?"

"I'm not suggesting you wouldn't be able to, but with our setup and party size, you staying in the middle has more tactical value rather than being a potential hindrance in terms of positioning to everyone else in the front line." Tiras calmly said.

"Bullshit. I'll be in the front line during the hunt and that's final. See you guys there." Alcrion spat before stalking off towards the airships.

Everyone stood there for a bit before Tiras spoke up.

"Is Alcrion always like that?" Tiras asked.

"Yeah..he's not great when it comes to teamwork, but at the very least he can fight well." Bella sighed.

Tiras noted that Alcrion reminded him of Marret, except Marret couldn't fight either.

"On a more positive note, let's get moving!" Tiras shouted, earning more shouts in reply.

* * *

This time the group had arrived at the Jurassic Frontier. The grey clouds from earlier had receded and the sun had come out. Once again, while Erin and Aria checked the supplies they had been sent, Tiras had gathered the rest of the group and was going over the battle plan once more.

"Okay, Crystal and Sarah? You'll both be in the front lines with Erin. If the Nargacuga shoots those spikes out of its tail, you have a much more reliable defense than just dodging. Bella and Alcrion are to be in the middle to provide support and swap in if the front gets in trouble. Aria, Trina, and I will remain in the back line, and if we get into trouble, it's the responsibility of both the middle and front lines to protect us while repositioning." Tiras ordered, much to the nodding of everyone except Alcrion, who was glaring at him.

Regardless, Tiras continued by listing a few battle formations before asking if anyone had questions.

"Your strategy will remained flawed if you continue to prohibit me from fighting on the front lines." Alcrion spat.

"And maybe you should learn to cooperate for once? If it doesn't work then we'll rework the strategy, but for now, just deal with it." Tiras barked back, which earned a "tsk" from Alcrion.

Bella was impressed. Normally people would shrink under Alcrion's remarks, but Tiras was handling it well.

"Anyway, grab your supplies and let's head out!" Tiras ordered while slinging his bowgun over his shoulder.

The group arrived at a dark clearing where the Nargacuga was reported to have been spotted. Sure enough, the panther-like wyvern landed right in front of them before letting out a loud roar.

"Battle formation!" Tiras cried out as everyone got into their lines.

The Nargacuga then pounced forward, but Sarah blocked it with her shield before delivering a quick strike with her lance. Erin was then able to slash at the Nargacuga's side before the monster leaped back and it's tail started to spin.

"Incoming! Hit the dirt!" Tiras yelled as everyone performed evasive maneuvers.

"Heh." Alcrion scoffed as he charged and dodged the tail spikes the Nargacuga shot out.

Alcrion then drew his glaive before sending his Kinsect towards the wyvern as he slashed the Nargacuga across the face.

"Darn it Alcrion! Everyone else, let's scatter!" Tiras ordered as everyone broke off into groups. They then surrounded the Nargacuga before attacking all at once.

Tiras, Trina, and Aria peppered the monster with projectiles as a variety of bladed weapons struck the Nargacuga.

"Alcrion! Tail swipe coming your way!" Tiras notified as he reloaded his bowgun.

Alcrion simply scoffed before ducking to the side...but he hit Crystal, knocking her to the side as the Nargacuga readied a tail slam.

"Crystal!" Bella cried as she charged in before grabbing and flinging herself and Crystal to the side, barely getting scraped by the tail slam.

Bella yelped in pain as the spikes cut her right leg open. Aria then ran over with her pouch at the ready.

"We have three members down! Give them some cover!" Tiras yelled out as he fired more fire rounds at the Nargacuga.

The remaining members of the hunting party were barely able to fend off the beast as their downed members recovered.

Soon the Nargacuga's cry could be heard loud and clear...and it went silent.

"Hah..hah…" Erin gasped while clutching her arm which had been gashed by a tailspike.

"Post-hunt status, three slightly wounded, five unharmed, mostly exhausted." Tiras listed.

"Heh, you guys couldn't handle the fight?" Alcrion smiled.

Everyone went silent, but Tiras took his bowgun and put it up against Alcrion's helmet.

"Couldn't handle your lack of teamwork that nearly got one of our group killed, that's for sure. If you think you're so competent then, you can hunt by yourself for the rest of your time in the Wycademy." Tiras coldly stated.

"So what? We killed the monster, and as a hunter, that's all that should matter."

Tiras' blood boiled, but he realized that there was something much smarter he could do.

"Very well, if that's your attitude then I'll submit that as testimony to the Wycademy. Have fun explaining this to them...let's go guys." Tiras stated as everyone else silently abandoned Alcrion to carve the Nargacuga up.

Alcrion simply smiled before heading in the opposite direction.

* * *

Back at the hall complex in Bherna, Tiras was waiting for Erin and Aria, as they said they'd be stopping by the smithy with the materials they had retrieved from the Nargacuga.

"We're back!" came Erin's voice as Tiras looked up.

Both Erin and Aria were in Nargacuga armor, and had new weapons made from its materials as well.

"Nice armor." Tiras remarked as Erin and Aria smiled at him.

"Don't flirt with your mother and daughter Tiras!" Aria teased, getting a sputter out of Tiras.

They then met back up with Bella and her friends in the tavern.

"You doing okay Bella?" Erin asked.

"Yeah, Aria patched me up and it doesn't really hurt anymore. Thanks for asking." Bella replied.

"I can't believe Alcrion did that! He's supposed to be the most experienced one out of us." Crystal shrieked while slamming her fist down on their table.

Tiras didn't like the look in her eyes. It was a look of rage and chaos.

"Hey calm down. Getting this worked up won't do anything." Tiras calmly said as Bella and Sarah patted Crystal on the back.

Tiras explained that he had already filed a report to the Wycademy, which hopefully stop Alcrion from endangering anyone else.

This slightly calmed the group, and Tiras let out a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, I'm guessing we won't see you girls for a while?" Tiras asked.

"Oh, about that. There was one more quest we wanted to ask for your help on." Bella said while nervously scratching the back of her head.

Everyone went silent as Bella chuckled once again.

"I want our group to go hunt a Rathalos." Bella stated.

* * *

It was now late in the evening, and Tiras was sitting at his desk once again. He was formulating a new battle plan for their hunt tomorrow.

A Rathalos, also known as the King of the Skies, was no easy target. Most beginner hunters were easily picked off by these wyverns, but with such a large group...they might stand a chance.

"Okay...it'll be a similar formation to our Nargacuga hunt, but with a Rathalos' tendency to stay airborne…" Tiras mumbled.

He then noticed a small crate in the corner of his room. It was filled with some sap plants and small stones he had collected a while back.

"Wait a minute…" Tiras realized as he grabbed both the crate and a bottle of flashbugs from one of his shelves.

He had an idea.

* * *

Tiras decided to get the group together early in the morning to hand out some special supplies.

"Here you go guys." Tiras said while handing out leather pouches to everyone.

"What are these?" Sarah asked nervously.

"Flash bombs. Use these to disorient the Rathalos, but make sure you cover your eyes as well." Tiras explained.

They then heard someone calling out to them, saying that their airship was ready.

"Let's do this!" Tiras cried out as everyone else replied in kind.

He had a strange chill running down his spine however.

* * *

They had a bit of a hike after they landed, but the Verdant Hills were beautiful as always and it was a nice sunny day again.

Tiras had briefed everyone on the airship so they could save time when they landed and grabbed supplies. He also decided to get some scouting work done.

He made his way out of their base camp in search of the Rathalos, and the reports said that it had been seen in the mountain cavern, so Tiras decided to take the quicker route. Pulling out a grappling hook, he tightened a harness on his hip before throwing the hook and latching onto the first bit of the climb.

"Alright...here goes nothing." Tiras mumbled as he started to climb up on the seemingly strong moss on the side of the cliff.

He stumbled a few times, but he eventually reached the top before creeping into the cavern.

"Oh no…" Tiras softly gasped as he stepped into the cavern.

The Rathalos was sleeping there...right next to a Rathian.


	3. Chapter 3: Rath from Above

Tiras quickly ran out of the cave before scaling down the cliff and dashing back towards base camp. The others were just leaving when he arrived.

"Woah Tiras! You look flustered, what's going on?" Erin cried out while startled.

"We need to change the plan. There's a Rathian here too." Tiras gasped out as he tried to catch his breath.

"A Rathian? That really complicates things." Bella sighed.

Tiras ushered them back into base camp as he brought out some notes from his pouch.

"Okay, while a Rathalos is more of an airborne target, Rathians love to patrol the grounds while having access to their deadly poisonous tail. Speaking of which, can someone quickly go forage for some antidotal herbs and blue mushrooms? We'll mostly certainly need some more antidotes just in case." Tiras began before Aria and Crystal volunteered to go.

"The flash bombs you gave us will help us with both of them though right?" Bella asked.

Tiras nodded in response as he went over the rest of the revised battle plan.

After Aria and Crystal got back, they decided to brave the cavern. This time, only the Rathian was sleeping there.

"Alright...think we can take it on?" Sarah whispered.

"I don't think we'll get another opportunity like this, so let's make sure we take it down." Tiras said as he motioned for something.

Trina, Erin, and Derek came in behind them carrying large barrels.

"I forgot how cute monsters are when they're sleeping...let's blow it up!" Erin laughed out as part of the group backed away from her.

"Let's just bag this thing." Derek groaned.

Tiras nodded as they placed the barrels carefully by the Rathian's head as Tiras loaded his bowgun.

"And...let us begin." Tiras said as he pulls the trigger.

BOOM!

The huge explosion shakes the cavern as the Rathian awakens and lets out a loud roar of pain.

"Formation A!" Tiras cried out as Sarah and Crystal charged forward with their shields raised.

The Rathian quickly reacted by launching a large fireball towards them. Crystal dodged to the side, but Sarah was able to raise her shield and block the majority of the attack.

"Ah damn that's hot!" Sarah cried out as she frantically waved her shield in an attempt to cool it off.

The Rathian then flew into the air of the spacious cavern, ready to strike.

"Flash bomb going out!" Crystal warned as she pulled one out of her leather pouch.

Everyone else covered their eyes as the flash engulfed the cavern and they heard the disoriented cry of the Rathian.

"Attack!" Derek cried out while brandishing his hammer.

The group charged in and delivered a flurry of attacks to the Rathian, inflicting a few nasty wounds on its body before it recovered.

"It's charging! Watch ou-gah!" Crystal cried out before being caught by the Rathian's charge attack alongside Derek.

"Two members down, cover them!" Tiras cried out in panic as Aria cried out and threw another flash bomb.

Crystal and Derek soon recovered, but a familiar cry rang out.

"Darn it, the Rathalos is here! Formation B! Take down the Rathian before it flies off!" Tiras ordered.

Derek delivered an upswing to the Rathian's head before Aria used a paralysis coating to disable it. Sarah and Crystal moved on to deal with the Rathalos, and Bella started to play a few songs from her horn.

"We're doing great! Just keep at it!" Tiras shouted over the sounds of his bowgun.

He was currently focusing on the Rathian, and he was soon able to put a round in its face, making the Rathian cry out before keeling over and dying.

Tiras pumped his fist in celebration, but Crystal caught his attention.

"Fireballs incoming guys!"

The explosive projectiles rained upon them, and while most of them were able to dodge, Aria was grazed by one.

"Agh!" she cried out as her arm was burned. The Rathalos then flew a little higher…

"Oh no...Aria, look out!" Tiras cried out as he noticed the familiar gesture and tried to fire, but all he got was the dreaded dead man's click.

The Rathalos dove down at Aria, but Tiras ran in as he shoved Aria aside with his bowgun.

"Urk!" Tiras gasped as the Rathalos dug its claws into his chest and he felt something start to seep into his wound.

"Tiras!" Derek cried out in panic as the Rathalos brought Tiras into the air, and proceeded to throw Tiras against the cavern wall.

Tiras passed out as he hit the ground.

"Damn it!" Erin cried out as she tossed her own flash bomb, knocking the Rathalos out of the sky.

"We must persevere!" Derek rallied the remainder of the group as they charged, intending to beat the Rathalos senseless.

Trina, who had just run out of ammunition, holstered her bowgun and pulled a circular device out of her bag before tossing it underneath the Rathalos.

The device activated and sparks of electricity came out of it, paralyzing the Rathalos.

"Shock trap's got it, attack with no holds barred! And get Tiras medical attention, stat!" Erin called out, temporarily taking Tiras' role as strategist.

They all converged on it as Aria quickly ran over to Tiras.

"Tiras!" she stuttered as she pulled out an antidote and bandages from her pouch. Upon inspecting Tiras' wounds, she noticed that his chest armor had been completely shredded, and a purple liquid was starting to seep out along with his blood.

Aria suppressed her urge to throw up as she administered the antidote and bandaged Tiras' wounds up. His breathing steadied a few seconds after drinking it, but Aria knew that they needed aid soon.

She turned to look at the rest of the group, and was met by the Rathalos letting out a similar cry to the Rathian before it fell onto the ground, dead.

"Let's get Tiras stable before we carve anything up." Erin panted out while sheathing her dulling longsword.

They all took a rest to tend to their wounds before carving both the Rathian and Rathalos up.

It was then time to head back.

* * *

"Ugh…" Tiras groaned as he awoke. His mind was hazy, but he did notice that he was now lying in his bed back in Bherna.

"He's awake!" came Derek's voice as Tiras sat up before being embraced by Aria.

"..Guys?" Tiras weakly said.

"You idiot! You of all people should know that your armor isn't designed for hits like that!" Aria scolded before letting out a few sobs.

"Sorry mom, it was going for you...and you do realize that your armor is the same right?" Tiras foolishly argued back as Aria hit him in the shoulder.

"That doesn't mean you're allowed to throw your life away!"

Tiras reached out and patted her head before looking around the rest of his room. Erin and Derek were sitting there, but Tiras wondered where everyone else was.

"Oh no…" Tiras groaned as he looked down at the floor where his bowgun lay.

The bowgun was intact, but Tiras' armor had been shredded to pieces.

"Don't worry Tiras! We have a get-well gift on its way right now! Bella and Crystal are bringing it over." Erin smiled.

Tiras tilted his head in confusion, but soon realized that Derek had a new red scaled hammer beside him.

"Wait, is that…" Tiras started but was cut off by his room door suddenly opening.

"We're here!" Bella exclaimed as she and Crystal carried an armor stand in.

On the stand was a full set of Rathalos armor, and a bowgun made of Rathian parts was slung around the shoulder.

"Oh my." Tiras said shocked. The armor was a bit different however. Instead of what standard Rathalos gunner armor should look like, the armor came with a helmet instead of the cap.

"It might be a little heavier than what you're used to, but if you're feeling up to it you can try it on." Crystal explained as Tiras agreed before ushering everyone out of the room so he could change.

Minutes later, Tiras called for the others to come back in. Upon opening the door, Tiras was dressed in his new magnificent armor with his bowgun slung around his shoulder.

"Tiras, you look badass. Makes me jealous that I decided to make Rathian armor instead." Derek smirked.

"Thanks. Oh, did we have anything leftover for Marret?" Tiras inquired while tightening his gauntlets.

"He's got his own set of Rathian armor and a new sword and shield made from the same monster." Aria explained.

"Anyway, now that we've finished with all this equipment testing, let's go celebrate!" Derek exclaimed as everyone agreed with him.

The tavern was lively once again, with the sounds of drinking contests and loud chants in the air, Tiras and his friends were sitting at a large table with lots of food and huge mugs of ale in front of them.

Tiras and Derek were currently downing a few mugs, while Marret was sitting across from them looking quite left out.

"Don't worry Marret! I'm sure your parents would be fine with you having at least one drink!" Erin laughed while swinging her own mug around.

"But I'm underage right?" Marret nervously stammered while holding his mug.

"It's fine! Tonight is about celebration, so eat, drink, and be merry!" Derek shouted before downing another mug.

The tavern didn't quiet down until really late into the night. Derek and Erin had to carry a sleepy and drunk Marret to his room, while Tiras was sitting down at his room's table experimenting with his new bowgun.

"Okay, so I can now use these pellet rounds...but they won't be very effective against larger monsters so I'd best use this ammo against hordes of Jaggi or something else." Tiras mumbled as he tinkered with the aforementioned ammo.

It would probably be for the best if he distanced himself from hunting groups for a while, especially due to his injuries.

In fact, he had an idea. He got up from his table and headed towards Derek's room.

Maybe a little trip back home would be nice.


	4. Chapter 4: Welcome Home

"So how'd everyone else get involved?" Tiras sighed as he was now looking over their large group.

It was meant to be a trip home consisting of Derek and himself, but somehow everyone, including Bella and her friends were now paying for their own tickets to Yukumo village.

"Ah come on Tiras! It just means we have more lovely ladies to introduce to our parents!" Derek laughed, making a few of the girls scowl at him.

Tiras simply facepalmed before they boarded the airship.

* * *

It took a few hours to reach Yukumo, but as soon as they stepped off the airship, a handful of cries could be heard from the crowd greeting them.

"Hey Derek! What's up you big lug?" came the voice of a gruff looking man.

"Nothing much old man!" Derek replied.

Tiras snickered a little at the friendly bickering between Derek and his father. The rest of Derek's family was similar, and Tiras had only learned to converse with them a few months ago when they were leaving for Bherna.

More of Derek's family started to crowd around him, all of which were large muscular men except for a few women striding up to him.

Just as Tiras sighed, a high-pitched voice rang out.

"Big bro!" said the voice as a small figure with long brown hair launched itself into Tiras' arms.

"Oof!" Tiras grunted as he realized he had just been tackled by his younger sister Celine.

"Celine, what did I tell you about jumping people like this?" Tiras calmly scolded with a smile on his face.

"But bro...it's been too quiet without you around! The others agree with me as well!" Celine pouted and as if on que, a barrage of little kids came running towards Tiras.

"Woah guys let's-GAH!" Tiras tried to stop them but he was too late and was pinned under a kiddy pile.

The rest of the group stepping off of the airship laughed as they witnessed these different sides of Derek and Tiras.

Derek and Tiras then led everyone else past the marketplace and towards the Training School, where both of their homes were located.

Derek's home was a moderately sized house with a small personal smithy beside it, while Tiras' home was much smaller and had a target range outside instead.

"It's good to be home." Derek said as he took a deep breath.

"Yep. The familiar scent of Yukumo wood, and...oh Celine!" Tiras yelped as his sister latched onto his waist once more.

Bella and her friends continued to snicker at the boys who were normally so serious.

* * *

Two women dressed in kimonos came out of the houses to greet them, but they first walked up to both Derek and Tiras.

"How's my little hammer wielder?" cooed one with the same dark hair as Derek.

"Mom…." Derek groaned as his mother Olivia embraced him tightly.

"He's doing good, apart from jumping into beds with girls so often that I've lost count." Tiras sighed out, which earned a glare from Derek. Tiras laughed it off as he received a hug from the other woman who had blonde hair.

"And how are you doing sweetie?" she sweetly asked.

"Quite well, but I feel much better at home." Tiras smiled as he hugged his mother Mari back.

"Anyway, you boys should get changed!" Derek's mother exclaimed as she ushered Derek into his house.

"Everyone else can wait by the training grounds." Tiras said as he followed his mother inside.

Aria and Erin looked at each other before laughing a bit as they headed toward the training grounds followed by Bella and her friends.

* * *

The training grounds were currently packed with young hunters trying out various weapons. Erin noticed a few boys trying to use longswords, while Aria cooed over a little girl trying to string a bow.

"Hey!" came a cute voice, and everyone turned to see Celine with a light bowgun slung around her shoulder.

"Hello there. Celine right? You're Tiras' younger sister?" Bella recalled.

"Yep! Nice to see big bro making lots of friends!" Celine exclaimed happily.

"He's been a huge help as well, being our group's strategist." Crystal chimed in.

Celine continued to beam about Tiras before she brought up something rather uncomfortable.

"So...is anyone here thinking of marrying big bro?" Celine innocently asked, earning various reactions from the females of the group.

"Marrying him? I thi-hmph!" Marret started but Erin quickly clamped her hand over Marret's mouth before he said something he'd regret.

"Well I mean...I don't think any of us have thought about that...or..oh no…." Bella stammered as her face went red.

"Celine, that's enough. I think if you continue like this you'll break the poor girls." came a much more refined voice.

Stepping up beside Celine was a tall female with short hazel hair with a longsword strapped to her back.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Lauren Ashton, Tiras' older sister." she said while giving a polite bow.

"Oh, um..it's nice to meet you too. I'm Bella...Bella Tryst." Bella stammered, still recovering from Celine's comment.

"She looks like she'd want to marry big bro!" Celine shouted once again, much to Bella's embarrassment.

"What's all this I hear about marriage?" came Tiras' voice.

Everyone turned to see both Derek and Tiras standing there in different clothes. Both of them were dressed in sets of Yukumo's signature armor, each with a kasa atop their heads.

Celine ran over to give Tiras a hug, and this time Tiras was ready for the jump. Lauren also walked over to him, but with a little more restraint.

"Oh come on Lauren...what's to lose by showing a little more joy about your brother coming home?" Tiras smirked.

"First of all, you have taken way too long to come visit! Second, I'm older than you so you don't get to look at me with that smirk!" Lauren exploded, her cool demeanor vanishing in a instant.

"Too bad! Celine, let's get her!" Tiras exclaimed as he and his sister latched onto Lauren, making her flail in panic.

The trio continued to have their family reunion as Derek stood next to the rest of the group.

"Tiras hasn't changed a bit since we left Yukumo." Derek smiled.

"As his acting mother, I'm very proud of him." Aria cooed.

"Hey Erin? Since we're here, could you help me work on my swordplay?" Marret nervously asked.

"Huh? You want me to help?" Erin asked in confusion.

"Yeah...Just..help me get a little stronger so I can accompany you guys on your hunts." Marret requested as he gave a slight bow.

Erin was surprised. Marret didn't normally ask for help, but she looked at Aria who gave her a slight wink.

"Alright I guess. I'm not going easy though!" Erin said as she put her hand on her longsword.

"Right." Marret stated.

Everyone had now gathered around one of the Training School's arenas to watch the spar between Erin and Marret.

Training weapons made from Yukumo wood had been passed out to the duelists, each one using their respective weapons.

Marret gripped his wooden sword and shield tightly as a bell signalled the start of the duel.

Marret charged forward, only this time instead of swinging wildly, he decided to perform a feint before raising his shield.

Erin lashed out against his charge, but bounced off of his shield as Marret delivered a swift strike to Erin's leg.

"Hgh! Nice one Marret!" Erin cried out as she recovered and slashed at Marret once again.

"I'm not sitting around anymore!" Marret yelled out as he parried the slash with his own blade.

On the sidelines, Tiras and Aria were observing the fight and chatting about Marret.

"He's really working hard isn't he?" Tiras said proudly.

"I think it's because of that armor and weapon we gave him. It's inspired him to get stronger and fight with his mind more instead of his heart." Aria remarked in a similar tone.

"There's nothing wrong with fighting with your heart. It's only a problem when you rely on impulses alone."

"Wise words, but I think there's something else motivating him. And it has to do with you Tiras." Aria said, dropping her normal motherly tone.

Tiras looked at her in confusion.

"When we brought you back after our last hunt, Marret was shocked to see you wounded. You've been the one who's given him a lot to think about after all…" Aria solemnly said as she returned her gaze to the duel.

Currently it seemed as if Erin had a serious advantage over Marret. Marret however, had just blocked another strike before leaping backwards and immediately lunging forward and striking. Erin's eyes went wide as she desperately countered. The wild attack still struck Marret directly in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and tumbling to the ground.

Another bell rang out after Marret tried to pick himself up but failed.

"Agh...no more...I yield…" Marret panted out as he turned over and laid on his back.

"Whew...that was a great fight Marret! That lunge really caught me off guard." Erin happily exclaimed as she held out her hand to him.

"Thanks, I still need work though. Someone once told me that I should become as adaptable as I could. Then I could use everything I had in my arsenal." Marret smiled back as he was lifted back onto his feet.

Tiras realized who Marret was referring to. Him. He had told that to Marret when he was showing him the various handcrafted munitions he was making.

"Hey Aria? I think there's time for one more duel before my mother calls everyone for dinner, so do you want to try sparring with Derek?" Tiras asked.

"What happened to mother? Nevermind that...but if you're feeling up to it, I'd like to have a spar with you." she replied with a smile.

"I'm still hurting a bit, but I can probably do a spar if I don't exert myself too hard. Don't take that as a reason to go easy on me though!" Tiras laughed.

"You asked for it then!" Aria glared at him while beaming.

Erin and Marret stepped out of the arena before Tiras and Aria stepped in. Aria picked up a wooden sword and shield as Tiras inspected what was left on the weapon rack.

"Hey Derek? What weapon did Tiras start using when you were kids?" Erin asked.

"I started with a hammer, but Tiras chose something much different from his current one." Derek said with a strange look on his face.

"Huh? Did Tiras start with a bladed weapon?" Marret asked, assuming Tiras had started with the staple sword and shield combo as well.

"Yeah, but it wasn't a shield." Derek said as he gestured to the arena.

Erin and Marret turned to the arena to see Tiras wielding a pair of wooden swords.

"Wait, Tiras used dual blades when he was younger?" Erin replied incredulously.

"Yep. I only hope he's not rusty or Aria might open his wounds back up."

Aria got into a stance as she analyzed Tiras. Tiras' stance seemed rather stiff, so Aria readied herself for a swift strike as Tiras remained stoic.

The bell rang and Aria sprung forward, poised to strike. Tiras stood his ground as Aria closed in, and as Aria made a thrust towards him, he swiftly dodged alongside Aria before countering with both his blades. One was blocked by Aria's shield, but the other one caught Aria's leg.

"Ungh!" Aria grunted as Tiras twirled away as if he were dancing.

A retaliation shield bash came towards Tiras, but he ducked under it before performing a sweeping motion with his blades. They caught Aria by her ankles before she fell over onto her back. Tiras then held one of his blades up to Aria's throat.

"Yield?" Tiras said with a smirk.

"Eheh..you got me." Aria giggled as she raised her hands in surrender while dropping her weapons.

"Geez Tiras, I didn't know you used dual blades when you were younger." Marret exclaimed as he and Aria put their weapons away.

"Yeah, I enjoyed them for a bit, but I felt more comfortable with a ranged weapon." Tiras chuckled.

"Anyway, I don't think our mothers will appreciate us coming home smelling like training. How about we hit the hot springs and freshen up?" Derek suggested with a wink.

The girls of the group visibly blushed at his suggestion as Tiras facepalmed.

This wasn't going to end well.

* * *

The renowned Yukumo Hot Springs weren't too crowded at this time, so as Tiras, Derek, and Marret headed for the male section, the rest of the group made their way inside after making sure the boys were gone.

Inside the male section, the boys were dressed in bathing robes while taking long soaks in the steaming water. Derek and a few other boys however, were searching around the border walls.

"Darn it...no cracks." Derek groaned as he frantically searched.

"What on earth is he doing Tiras?" Marret asked as he dumped a tub of water onto his head.

"You don't want to know if you want to live longer." Tiras sighed as he continued to meditate in the water.

"Ah come on guys, why not have a little fun? Don't you wa-Augh!" Derek cried out as his hand had moved over an unnoticed crack.

Derek fell through a large hole he had created as the rest of the boys around him bolted.

"Marret, run!" Tiras cried out as he and Marret hid behind a rock as they heard the outraged cries of many females.

Poor Derek.

* * *

"Ow…" Derek said as he rubbed the side of his face. There was a huge bruise there, and Derek probably had a bunch more under his clothes.

"You totally deserved that Derek." Crystal scolded.

"While I suspected this, I didn't expect you to be so crude about it Derek." Aria yelled while covering her chest.

"Ah come on, you girls look great so I don't see the problem…" Derek weakly tried to defend himself as Bella punched him in the shoulder.

Marret and Tiras were silent for a while, as to not disturb the wrath of the girls.

"You might be right about that Derek, but there's something else you should pay attention to that doesn't require leering." Tiras calmly said as the girls looked at him.

"What's that Tiras?" Marret curiously says.

"Their smiles of course." Tiras chuckles, making the girls stop as Derek laughs.

"Oh geez Tiras, you really should've toned that one down a bit."

Tiras turned and looked at him in confusion as he noticed the light blushes and stunned looks on some of the girls.

"Sorry, guess that was pretty embarrassing. Let's head back home. I'm sure my mom and sisters are waiting for us." Tiras muttered as he covered his face the rest of the walk back home.

Dinner consisted of a variety of grilled fish and meat, along with various vegetable and fruit dishes. Everyone was also eating outside in the cool evening at a large communal table.

Derek and Marret were eating ravenously while Tiras seemed to have a nervous look on his face.

"You okay dear?" Mari asked him.

"Huh? Yeah sorry I was just a little spaced out." Tiras replied with a slight smile.

"I can tell. You had a very embarrassed face while out of it. Did something happen? Oh no, you didn't walk in on the girls bathing did you?" Olivia groaned.

"Nonono that wasn't him, it was Derek!" Trina quickly corrected as the mothers looked at Derek, who had stopped eating and chuckled nervously.

"Anyway, you look a little dazzled so maybe a bit of fresh air would help?" Mari chimed in.

Tiras nodded as he finished his food before heading off towards a secluded part of the garden.

"Oh, Mrs. Ashton? Where's Mr. Ashton?" Bella questioned as she finished her fruit wine.

"Ah he's on a hunt right now. I think he said he'd be back tomorrow morning. You are all staying that long right?" Olivia questioned.

The rest of the group nodded in approval as Bella excused herself to go to the washroom.

Tiras laid down on the soft grass while staring at the stars. His attention was caught by a pair of soft footsteps, so he tilted his head backwards and saw Bella standing there.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked with a smile.

"Not at all." Tiras replied as he forced his nervousness down.

Bella laid next to him and they sat in relative silence before she spoke up.

"So did you really mean what you said earlier? About a girl's smile?" she asked.

"Um...uh…" Tiras stuttered for a bit before clearing his throat.

"Yes I did. I simply believe that girls should not be judged by their bodies and instead by their smiles and actions. I mean, who likes a fake smile?" Tiras calmly stated.

Bella blushed slightly while smiling before moving a little closer to Tiras.

"Your father's coming home tomorrow. What's he like?" Bella asked as she felt Tiras nervously shuffle a bit.

Tiras laughed as he described his father as a headstrong and boisterous hunter.

It felt good to relax, but little did the two know, that Mari was watching them with a wide smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5: The Blade of Magma

The next day, everyone awoke to the sun rising and both Tiras' and Derek's mothers laying out breakfast.

They had just started eating when a sudden cry rang out through. A man clad in silver armor covered in soot and dirt ran into the garden. His helmet visor was up however, and Tiras recognized him.

"Father! What's wrong?" Tiras asked as his father collapsed to his knees.

"Hah...back in Bherna! There's a distress call going out...there's a monster outbreak in the Jurassic Frontier!" his father panted out.

Everyone looked at each other, and Tiras took a deep breath before speaking up.

"Well then, break time's over." he sighed before running back into his house.

"Yep, time to gear up. Who else is coming?" Derek questioned.

The rest of the group all stood to attention.

"Dears, it might be best if you let the more experienced hunters take care of it. One monster might be one thing, but an outbreak is extremely dangerous!" Mari said with worry in her voice.

"Let them go. This is the life they've chosen." Tiras' father calmly said to the worried mothers.

Tiras and Derek then came out wearing their armor and weapons.

"Is the next airship leaving soon Father?" Tiras asked as his father Aaron gave him a nod.

"Alright then, let's move out! Everyone else can change on the ship!" Tiras ordered as the others hastily grabbed breakfast and their gear before they all ran towards the airship for Bherna.

* * *

When they touched down at Wycademy HQ, there was already a large group of hunters that had gathered near the Guild Manager. Tiras and his friends took their place in the crowd before listening intently.

"Hunters! You have all gathered here to help us deal with the sudden storm of monsters in the Jurassic Frontier! The airships are ready, so...let the hunt begin!" the Guild Manager rallied as every hunter gathered returned the cry in favor.

Tiras and his friends joined the crowds of hunters filing onto the dozens of airships.

"Okay, these should come in handy." Tiras mumbled to himself while stuffing some herbs into a huskberry.

"Targets spotted!" Bella cried out, grabbing everyone's attention.

Below them, a stampede of Bullfango led by a Bulldrome.

"Prepare to engage!" Derek exclaimed with a smile on his face as the airship pilot lowered them to a suitable altitude for jumping.

One by one, they jumped off at one of the new base camps.

"Okay, our first target is that stampede! Any ideas how we're taking it on?" Erin inquired as Tiras brought out a new piece of parchment.

"There were dozens of them; Trina, Aria, and I will keep the Bullfango off of the rest of you while you handle the Bulldrome." Tiras listed out while drawing out a plan.

The rest of the group listened before a loud unfamiliar roar rang throughout the air.

"What the hell is that?" Bella exclaimed as Tiras quickly opened a book.

"That...might be a Glavenus." Tiras explained with a grim look.

"Seriously? Isn't that one of Bherna's most feared beasts?" Marret gasped.

Tiras gave him a nod as he inspected his plan.

"We'll handle the Bulldrome and Bullfango first. It might be better if we simply report back afterwards about the Glavenus."

The group agreed with him before heading in the direction of the stampede.

* * *

"Trina! On your left!" Tiras shouted.

Trina heeded his warning and dodged to the side of a Bullfango before putting a round between its eyes.

"Thanks for the heads up!" she replied.

Tiras nodded as he paused to reload.

Inspecting the battlefield, Aria and Trina were making quick work of the Bullfango while Derek was wrangling the Bulldrome. Erin and the others were chasing after Derek with the Bulldrome.

He couldn't get over the Glavenus' roar from earlier though.

They quickly took care of the rest before heading back to base camp.

"Sarah, your leg doesn't look good." Aria pointed out once they got back.

"What? Sarah got injured?" Tiras exclaimed.

Everyone ran over to Sarah and saw that her leg had been really cut open by the Bulldrome's tusk.

"Thank goodness we still have potions and bandages. Someone help me patch her up." Bella said.

Tiras took a deep breath before he realized something.

"Hey Aria, Trina, how are your ammo reserves faring?"

"Oh right, I only have a few coatings left.." Aria replied while looking through her bag.

"I'm on my last clip." Trina said while holding up her empty ammo pouch.

"Alright, then I'm gonna head out and scavenge for materials then. Anyone want to come with me?" Tiras asked while picking up his bowgun.

"I got your back! Marret, you coming?" Derek replied.

"Sure, I'll come along." Marret nodded.

Tiras, Derek, and Marret walked deeper into the Jurassic Frontier, noticing a few other groups of hunters taking care of various monsters.

Tiras had already gotten his hands on a huge collection of munition materials, so they were just picking up some honey just in case.

"This is going rather well, considering how urgent that alarm was." Derek laughed while filling a jar with honey.

"Guess so, it was good that so many hunters answered the call." Marret replied with a smile.

"Yeah, but don't get complacent. Things can go south really fa-" Tiras started but was cut off by a series of loud screams.

"And I just had to jinx it." Tiras sighed.

"Come on, we'd better check it out!" Marret exclaimed.

"You guys go on ahead, I have to craft some ammo." Tiras said as they rushed off.

* * *

Derek and Marret dashed into a clearing as they saw something terrifying chasing a trio of hunters.

The Glavenus.

"Damn it, we've gotta help!" Marret exclaimed while drawing his sword.

"Right, but be careful, if I remember correctly...a Glavenus' tail is extremely hot and can cut right through our armor!" Derek shouted back.

They then charged to help the hunters.

"No! Stay back! It's going to-" one of them shouted as a sharp noise came from the Glavenus.

Derek realized that it was heating its tail.

"Hit the dirt!" he shouted as the Glavenus spun towards them.

"ARGH!" came the cries of the hunters.

Derek quickly picked himself up and almost gagged at the sight in front of him. Two of the hunters laid bleeding out of the ground in front of him, while the other had been torn in half.

"Damn it. Marret, go get help! I'll hold it off for now!" Derek shouted.

"But...alright, stay safe!" Marret cried out as he ran back towards base camp.

Derek faced the Glavenus down as it let out a mighty roar.

"Come on then!" he roared as he charged with his hammer.

The beast tried to bite him, but Derek delivered a solid uppercut to it's face. The Glavenus quickly recovered as it expelled a large blast of magma from its mouth.

"Agh!" Derek cried out in pain as the blast grazed his chest.

He quickly fell back in pain before feeling something else hit him from behind; only this was a pleasant sensation.

He looked down at his chest and saw a splash of herbs and green liquid treating his wound.

"Well well, look at the new tricks you've got up your sleeve!" Derek smirked knowing full well who was behind him.

"I figured it would be a good time to test these out. Marret ran past me and said you were in trouble. He's going to get everyone else, apart from Sarah." Tiras replied while loading some cluster bombs into his bowgun.

"Derek, get a pitfall trap set!" he ordered.

"On it!" Derek replied, pulling a contraption out of his bag.

He set it down quickly as it formed a giant pitfall.

The Glavenus then charged towards Derek before falling into the trap.

"Fire!" Derek called out.

Tiras aimed at the monster's head and fired two bombs which burst into a storm of shrapnel.

The Glavenus was still moving unfortunately.

"Tiras! Derek!" came a series of familiar voices.

Tiras turned to see everyone else, including Sarah, run towards them.

"Is Sarah's leg better?" Tiras asked with concern.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. Let's go!" Crystal cheered.

They all then charged the Glavenus who was still stuck in the trap.

The fight started to drag on. Tiras was running out of ammo once again, and the coatings and munitions he passed off to Aria and Trina were drying up as well. As for the rest of the group, they were started to feel the toll of exhaustion.

"Hah...hah…" Derek panted out.

No one was having an easy time fighting now, and then it all went to hell.

The Glavenus' mouth opened.

"Oh crap! Magma blast incoming!" Tiras shouted out as everyone desperately tried to dodge.

They were too late.

The blast caught everyone.

"Agh!" Tiras grunted as he was caught in the side by the blast. He then looked around in shock at the rest of the group.

Only Marret and Sarah were still standing. Everyone else had collapsed.

Tiras then looked towards the Glavenus, and to his horror, it was heating its tail.

"Marret! Help me protect everyone!" Sarah frantically shouted.

"Got it!" Marret replied as they both raised their shields.

Tiras knew that their shields wouldn't block that attack, and he guessed Marret and Sarah knew that as well. So he quickly loaded his last few rounds before charging.

"Tiras, wait!" Sarah cried out as Tiras aimed.

"If I miss this shot...it's all over…" Tiras mumbled to himself before pulling the trigger.

The bullet flew true...right into the Glavenus' mouth.

The magma it had in its mouth exploded, toppling the Glavenus over as it fell to the ground and laid still.

"Hah...gotcha." Tiras smiled before firing a flare into the air.

* * *

An airship was able to get to them quickly. Everyone unconscious was put onto stretchers while Marret and Sarah got their wounds treated.

"Is that everyone?" one of the medical staff aboard asked.

"Yeah, just get them treatment ASAP. A Glavenus is no small threat." Tiras explained to the man.

"Excuse me? Tiras was wounded as well." Sarah spoke up, and the man quickly lifted Tiras' arms despite his protests.

"...I understand you want your friends treated first, but don't write yourself off just yet." he said as Tiras sighed.

"Yes sir."

* * *

They arrived back at Bherna fifteen minutes later, where they were all brought to the halls for rest. Tiras, Sarah, and Marret were sitting in the tavern while everyone else was either resting in their rooms or the medical ward.

"How'd it all go so wrong?" Marret sighed dejectedly, part of his head bandaged after the burns had been treated.

"We weren't prepared for a Glavenus, but with this experience we can prepare ourselves for a similar threat. For now, we should rest up and…" Sarah started but Tiras cut her off.

"I'm heading back out tomorrow. They'll need all the help they can get and I wasn't injured that badly." he said, getting shocked looks from both Sarah and Marret.

"But Tiras, you can't do it on your own." Sarah chided.

"I know that. I'll join up with the other Wycademy Hunters whenever I can, but I'm not sitting down and waiting." Tiras sighed.

"You can't. What about your family? Us?" Marret said.

"I entrust the role of strategist to you Marret. I've shown you what I can do, now it is your job to see it through." Tiras solemnly said.

"Don't say it like you're not coming back. Look, we can wait until tomorrow when hopefully everyone's woken up." Sarah instructs as they all got up for bed.

* * *

Early the next morning however, Tiras had already eaten breakfast and packed his bags. He decided that when he returned he would head back home to Yukumo.

"I'll come back someday. It's just that I have this nagging feeling that something else is behind this monster outbreak. Perhaps when I find that out I'll be able to stop it...but that's just optimistic thinking for me." Tiras mumbled to himself before heading towards Wycademy HQ.


	6. Chapter 6: A Sinister Plot

**Author's Note**

 **Hi guys, sorry for the late update and super short chapter. I've been having to deal with both exams and other real life situations so I'm leaving this note here just to say I'm probably not going to be updating very often.**

 **Thanks for all the views and reviews, but I will have to step away from writing for a while as I deal with reality.**

 **Enjoy the brief chapter.**

 **-CJwat15**

* * *

"Hm, the trail stops here." Tiras mumbled to himself as he examined the fresh tracks on the ground.

He was in the Jurassic Frontier once again, and while there were plenty of other Hunters around, Tiras was by himself.

The only thing that mattered was finding the source of this monster outbreak. Once he did that, he was sure he could either stop it or at least get the Wycademy's full attention on it.

"Incoming!" A loud voice came as Tiras turned to see a group of four being chased by a Volvidon.

Tiras scoffed as he drew his bowgun and fired. The Pierce round nailed the Volvidon right in the face before it tumbled off to the side, allowing the other Hunters to rush it.

"Thanks for the assist Gunner!" One of them shouted and Tiras nodded in response before taking his leave back towards base camp.

Tiras was met with a harrowing but familiar sight when he got back to base camp. Wounded Hunters laid in stretchers and makeshift beds all across the camp.

"Ah Tiras, good to see you. Berka wanted to speak with you." One of the medics said to him.

"Thanks for the heads up." Tiras replied as he headed for a large tent that had been set up in the camp.

In there was the newly appointed head of the operations for the Jurassic Frontier, Berka Ironclaw. He was a tall, grizzly, and muscular man with a large Great Sword made of Rathalos parts beside him. Apparently he used to be a smith before he joined the Wycademy.

"Tiras. Perfect timing, I have something that requires your aid." Berka said.

"What's the situation sir?" Tiras replied while standing at attention.

"At ease. It's a simple scouting task, but something about the report does concern me. The monster was described to have some form of black mist emanating from it." Berka explained.

"Wait, it was a Gore Magala? One of the most elusive monsters out there?"

"Yes...but the Wycademy has no idea why it has shown up here. It would be most appreciated if you could shed some light on this matter."

"Understood, I'll head out immediately."

"Also, Tiras? I'm not ungrateful for the time you've dedicated to the Wycademy, but don't you have family you need to get back to? You're still quite young if I'm being honest."

Tiras went quiet at this. It was true that he hadn't even written so much as a letter home or to his friends for two weeks. It was honestly surprising that they hadn't found him yet, but perhaps they were still tending to their injuries, emotional or mental ones if not physical ones.

"I'm going to head home to Yukumo soon, but I'd like to atleast get this mission done." Tiras replied after a long silence.

"Very well. Take care out there." Berka said before Tiras bowed and took his leave.

The location Tiras was sent to check out was a ruined base camp which was quite far away from the current base camp. He hid himself in a bush as he pulled out his binoculars.

He didn't see anything for a while until a dark purplish mist caught his eye. It was only seconds later when a dark creature emerged from some trees.

The Gore Magala.

Tiras didn't dare try to take this monster on by himself, but there was something more disturbing. He saw something that looked like a saddle or something on the Gore Magala's back.

"What the hell?" Tiras muttered before he heard heavy footsteps.

A Hunter stepped into the clearing, and what he was clad in made Tiras' eyes go wide.

"Is...that..Alcrion?" Tiras thought as he saw the familiar insect glaive and Gore Magala armor.

It was definitely Alcrion, and somehow it was...friends with the Gore Magala? Was that because of his armor?

Tiras' thoughts were interrupted when the Gore Magala suddenly turned towards him.

"Oh shi-" Tiras said before having to duck out of the way of a purple energy blast of some kind. He quickly recovered and saw that Alcrion had mounted the Gore Magala.

Tiras didn't think and just ran.

He kept running while hearing energy blasts screech after him, but he could just feel the monster catching up to him.

He clenched his teeth before drawing his bowgun and turning around. The Gore Magala wasn't far off, and Alcrion had drawn his insect glaive as well.

Tiras took aim before firing another Pierce round. The bullet hit the Gore Magala in the leg, sending it toppling over and throwing Alcrion off as well.

As it was recovering, Tiras took off running once again, hoping that it wouldn't chase him back to base camp.

"This is concerning indeed. I've seen the files on Alcrion, but I'd never think that this would happen." Berka murmured when Tiras made his report.

"I'm just fortunate he didn't pursue me further…" Tiras sighed.

"Well regardless, I think you deserve a break. I relieve you from your duties here. Go spend some much deserved time with your family." Berka said while patting Tiras on the shoulder.

"Thank you sir." Tiras replied before heading for the makeshift airship dock at base camp.

He boarded a ship that was heading for Yukumo.

On the ship, Tiras lost himself in his thoughts.

"What the hell is Alcrion planning? This is bigger than just some petty revenge towards the others and I…For now, it's better if I keep this a secret from the others for now." Tiras pondered.

If there was one thing Tiras was certain about, Alcrion had transformed from a Hunter into basically the very monsters they were fighting.

Tiras felt...terrified.


End file.
